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Astrill vs VyprVPN pits two long-standing anti-censorship VPNs against each other at a tenfold price gap. Astrill offers StealthVPN and OpenWeb for the Great Firewall at $30 a month, with no audit and session logging. VyprVPN, now owned by Certida, offers its Chameleon protocol and owned servers at about $3 a month on two years, but its only audit dates from 2018, fahimai notes.
This guide compares stealth tools, evidence, price, refunds, devices and fit.
Astrill vs VyprVPN on Stealth
Install either before you travel, since app stores may be blocked.
No VPN guarantees access in China at all times.
Astrill’s StealthVPN avoids deep packet inspection, and OpenWeb disguises VPN traffic as ordinary browsing, TechRadar notes; VPN.com says Astrill historically stays connected when China tightens controls. VyprVPN’s Chameleon scrambles packet metadata so networks struggle to recognise it, Impulsec notes.
For mainland China, Astrill has the stronger reputation; Chameleon suits less extreme blocks at a fraction of the cost.
Evidence and Logging
Neither has had its policy independently tested recently.
Astrill says session data is deleted after disconnecting; no audit has confirmed it.
Astrill has no independent audit, Tom’s Guide notes, and its own policy says it keeps your connection time, IP address, device type and app version during each session. VyprVPN published one of the first no-logs audits, in 2018, but none since, including after Certida took over.
Neither offers current outside proof. Our VPN audit tracker lists providers that do.
Astrill vs VyprVPN on Price and Refunds
Astrill costs $30 a month, Gizmodo and Cloudwards note, with VIP extra. VyprVPN costs about $3 a month on two years, with some sites listing $10 monthly, fahimai notes.
VyprVPN costs roughly a tenth as much. Our renewal price guide compares renewals.
A single month is the safest way to try Astrill.
Gizmodo found Astrill does not issue refunds. VyprVPN offers 30 days for refunds on first purchases, our tables record.
VyprVPN is far safer to test.
Devices
A router counts once on either.
Count every device before choosing.
A router running VIP Astrill can cover a whole home.
Astrill allows five devices, VPN.com notes, despite its site’s unlimited claim; VIP adds unlimited devices and router support. Recent reviews list 10 devices for VyprVPN.
Astrill’s VPN Sharing can extend one connection to other devices on your network.
Protocols, Apps, Owners and Base
Test first.
One review reported IP leaks with Astrill’s WireGuard, VPN.com notes, so test for leaks.
Astrill supports WireGuard and OpenVPN alongside its own protocols, and offers two kill switches, Tom’s Guide notes. VyprVPN supports WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2 alongside Chameleon, and owns its servers, fahimai notes.
At home, WireGuard on either is the fast default.
Both are long-running services.
Astrill is based in the Seychelles, VPN.com notes. Certida owns VyprVPN after buying it from Golden Frog.
Our VPN ownership guide explains why ownership changes matter.
Who Each Is For
Pick by the network you face.
Astrill suits people living in or travelling often to mainland China who need its track record and accept the price, logs and no refunds. VyprVPN suits travellers facing ordinary blocks who want obfuscation at a low price.
Install either before you travel; app stores may be blocked on arrival.
Longer Plans
Compare the total, not the monthly rate.
Pay monthly first if you are unsure, since Astrill does not refund.
Astrill’s longer plans cost $180 a year or $300 for two years, our tables record, about half the monthly rate. VyprVPN’s two-year plan is about $3 a month, fahimai notes.
Even Astrill’s best rate stays far above VyprVPN’s.
Routers, Smart Mode and Paying
Card payments are usually easiest to refund.
Astrill supports DD-WRT, Tomato and Asuswrt-Merlin routers, our tables record, and its Smart Mode sends local traffic outside the tunnel, which helps users in China reach domestic sites. VyprVPN’s Chameleon also works on routers, ProPrivacy notes.
Both can protect a whole home from the router.
Astrill accepts cards, PayPal, bank transfer and cryptocurrency including Monero, our tables record. Check VyprVPN’s payment options at checkout.
Crypto can add privacy but usually makes refunds harder.
Speed and Connection
Pick a nearby server for the best result.
Connections through OpenWeb and StealthVPN start almost instantly, TechRadar found, though OpenVPN connections took unusually long, and everyday speeds were adequate rather than exceptional. We found no recent independent speed figures for VyprVPN in our sources.
Test both from the network you will use.
VPN Sharing and Streaming
Test the services you use first.
Astrill’s VPN Sharing turns your main device into a VPN hub for others on the network, TechRadar notes, which helps cover smart-home gadgets that cannot run a VPN app. Cloudwards found Astrill reaches more streaming platforms than before; we found no recent streaming tests for VyprVPN. We put the two side by side in our VyprVPN vs FastestVPN comparison.
Neither is a streaming-first choice.
How We Research
This page draws on Tom’s Guide’s, TechRadar’s, Gizmodo’s, Cloudwards’ and VPN.com’s Astrill coverage and Impulsec’s and fahimai’s VyprVPN coverage. We cross-checked these sources against each other, and where they conflict or something can’t be verified, we say so in the text rather than guessing. We checked time-sensitive figures, including prices in US dollars, on 8 October 2026. The main source we relied on is Tom’s Guide’s Astrill review. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Astrill vs VyprVPN FAQ
Astrill for mainland China; VyprVPN for cheaper obfuscation elsewhere.
VyprVPN, at about $3 a month on two years.
No; VyprVPN’s only audit was in 2018, Astrill has none.
Gizmodo found it does not; VyprVPN gives 30 days.
Astrill, with StealthVPN and OpenWeb.
The Verdict
Astrill vs VyprVPN: Astrill when mainland China is the job and price is secondary; VyprVPN for affordable obfuscation and a refund.